Occlusive diseases of the vasculature are a leading cause of mortality and morbidity. While the nature of vascular diseases varies greatly, the underlying clinical cause is a reduction in blood flow due to an accumulation of obstructive material in one or more vessels feeding or draining an affected organ. The obstructive material can vary in hardness and composition. Harder obstructive material often contains calcified atherosclerotic plaque, whereas softer obstructive material often contains blood clots (thrombi), and vascular disease is commonly caused by a combination of the two.
Obstructive material is often found in the peripheral circulatory system as well as the coronary vessels. When such obstructions develop abruptly in one or more coronary vessels feeding the heart, a heart attack can occur. When obstructions develop over a longer period in one or more coronary vessels, patients can experience angina; while developing obstructions in one or more peripheral vessels can result in patient pain, ulcers, or gangrene in an extremity. When the blockage of blood flow becomes sufficiently serious, it is necessary to intervene and recanalize the affected blood vessel(s).